U.S. patent number 9,167,104 [Application Number 14/036,661] was granted by the patent office on 2015-10-20 for telecommunications data usage management.
This patent grant is currently assigned to AIRWATCH LLC. The grantee listed for this patent is SkySocket, LLC. Invention is credited to Alan Dabbiere, Erich Stuntebeck.
United States Patent |
9,167,104 |
Dabbiere , et al. |
October 20, 2015 |
Telecommunications data usage management
Abstract
Telecommunications data usage management may be provided. A
network state associated with a communication network may be
identified. Upon determining that the network state is not in
compliance with a data usage policy, access to the communication
network may be restricted for at least one application.
Inventors: |
Dabbiere; Alan (McLean, VA),
Stuntebeck; Erich (Mariette, GA) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
SkySocket, LLC |
Atlanta |
GA |
US |
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Assignee: |
AIRWATCH LLC (Atlanta,
GA)
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Family
ID: |
49946958 |
Appl.
No.: |
14/036,661 |
Filed: |
September 25, 2013 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20140024339 A1 |
Jan 23, 2014 |
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Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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13950486 |
Jul 25, 2013 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04M
15/88 (20130101); H04M 15/8038 (20130101); H04M
15/8214 (20130101); H04W 4/24 (20130101); H04W
4/021 (20130101); H04M 15/885 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H04M
15/00 (20060101); H04W 4/24 (20090101); H04W
4/26 (20090101) |
Field of
Search: |
;455/414.1,405,406,407,419,420,411,410 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Other References
Office Action for U.S. Appl. No. 13/952,785, mailed Mar. 11, 2015.
cited by applicant .
International Search Report mailed Dec. 4, 2014 for Application No.
PCT/US2014/047729. cited by applicant .
Non-Final Office Action mailed Dec. 5, 2014 for U.S. Appl. No.
14/019,667. cited by applicant .
Non-Final Office Action mailed Dec. 3, 2014 for U.S. Appl. No.
13/950,486. cited by applicant .
Office Action mailed for Application No. 14/019,667 mailed Apr. 29,
2015. cited by applicant.
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Primary Examiner: Gelin; Jean
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Thomas | Horstemeyer LLP
Parent Case Text
RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims priority as a Continuation-in-Part of U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 13/950,486, filed Jul. 25, 2013, which
is entitled Device Functionality Management and is hereby
incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method comprising: identifying a network state associated with
a device in communication with a communication network; determining
whether the network state is in compliance with a data usage policy
based upon whether a user associated with the device is a member of
a first user group or a second user group, the first user group
associated with a higher data usage priority than the second user
group; and in response to determining that the network state is not
in compliance with the data usage policy based upon the user being
a member of the second user group, restricting access to the
communication network at least one application.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the network state further
comprises a determination of whether a network connection is
active.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the network state further
comprises a determination of whether a network connection comprises
a metered connection.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the network state further
comprises a type of network connection.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the network state further
comprises a calculation of an amount of data used.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the network state further
comprises a calculation of an amount of allocated data usage
remaining.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein restricting access to the
communication network for the at least one application comprises
preventing use of the communication network by the at least one
application.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein restricting access to the
communication network for the at least one application comprises
limiting an amount of data permitted to be transmitted over the
communication network.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein restricting access to the
communication network for the at least one application comprises
limiting an amount of data permitted to be received over the
communication network.
10. An apparatus comprising: a memory storage; at least one network
interface; and a processing unit coupled to the at least one
network interface and the memory storage, wherein the processing
unit is operative to: receive a request to perform a network
operation from an application executing on the apparatus; identify
a network state associated with the network interface; determine
whether the network state is in compliance with a data usage policy
based upon whether a user associated with the apparatus is a member
of a first user group or a second user group, the first user group
associated with a higher data usage priority than the second user
group; and in response to determining that the network state is not
in compliance with the data usage policy based upon the user being
associated with the second user group, restrict access to the
network interface for the application executing on the
apparatus.
11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processing unit is
further operative to: determining whether a file is required for a
user associated with the apparatus; and initiate download of the
file to the apparatus.
12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processing unit is
further operative to: calculate an amount of data consumed by the
application executing on the apparatus, and determine whether the
amount of data consumed by the application is in compliance with
the data usage policy according to the calculated amount of data
consumed by the application.
13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the data usage policy
identifies a configurable amount of data allocated to a plurality
of applications, wherein the application comprises a first
application of the plurality of applications.
14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processing unit is
further operative to: calculate an amount of data consumed by the
application executing on the apparatus, and the calculated amount
of data consumed by the application executing on the apparatus is
associated with a configurable time period.
15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the configurable time period
is associated with a billing cycle.
16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium which stores a set of
instructions that when executed performs a method executed by the
set of instructions comprising: receiving a request to perform a
network operation from an application; determining whether the
application is subject to a data usage policy comprising a
plurality of compliance rules; and in response to determining that
the application is subject to the data usage policy: calculating an
amount of data consumed by the application for a time period
associated with the data usage policy, identifying a communication
network type associated with at least one communication network,
identifying a user associated with the request to perform the
network operation, determining whether the request to perform the
network operation is in compliance with the data usage policy
according to the calculated amount of consumed data and the
communication network, in response to determining that the request
to perform the requested network operation is not in compliance
with the data usage policy and the user is not a member of a first
user group, preventing the requested network operation from being
performed; and in response to determining that the request to
perform the requested network operation is not in compliance with
the data usage policy and the user is a member of the first user
group, causing the requested network operation to be performed.
17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16,
further comprising: in response to determining that the request to
perform the network operation is not in compliance with the data
usage policy and the user is not a member of the first user group,
restricting access to the communication network for at least one
application.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16,
further comprising: in response to determining that the request to
perform the network operation is not in compliance with the data
usage policy and the user is not a member of the first user group,
modifying the requested network operation according to at least one
of the plurality of compliance rules associated with the data usage
policy.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16,
further comprising: in response to determining that the request to
perform the network operation is not in compliance with the data
usage policy and the user is not a member of the first user group,
requesting user confirmation of whether to proceed with causing the
requested network operation to be performed.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16,
further comprising: receiving user confirmation to proceed with
causing the requested network operation to be performed; and
logging a user override of the data usage policy.
21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16,
wherein the first user group is associated with a higher priority
than a second user group.
Description
BACKGROUND
Data usage management provides options for controlling the behavior
of devices through provision of a software development kit (SDK),
application wrapping, and compliance rules. In some situations,
applications executing on mobile devices may consume large amounts
of data. Since many telecommunications providers allot only a
certain amount of data per billing cycle, it is easy for such
applications to exceed the allotment and incur additional charges.
Similarly, pre-paid plans offer a limited amount of data before
additional payments are required. Furthermore, mobile devices
operating outside of their home area (e.g., roaming
internationally) may also incur significant charges. Additionally,
mobile devices are typically battery powered, and network
operations, such as receiving and transmitting data, often comprise
battery-intensive operations. Conventional approaches simply
continue to transmit data and incur additional charges, and allow
the device to rapidly deplete its battery power.
SUMMARY
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a
simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed
Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features
or essential features of the claimed subject matter. Neither is
this Summary intended to be used to limit the claimed subject
matter's scope.
Telecommunications data usage management may be provided. A network
state associated with a communication network may be identified.
Upon determining that the network state is not in compliance with a
data usage policy, access to the communication network may be
restricted for at least one application.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description
and the following detailed description are examples and explanatory
only, and should not be considered to restrict the disclosure's
scope, as described and claimed. Further, features and/or
variations may be provided in addition to those set forth herein.
For example, embodiments of the disclosure may be directed to
various feature combinations and sub-combinations described in the
detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Many aspects of the present disclosure can be better understood
with reference to the following diagrams. The drawings are not
necessarily to scale. Instead, emphasis is placed upon clearly
illustrating certain features of the disclosure. Moreover, in the
drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts
throughout the several views. In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a user device;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an operating environment for providing
data communications management;
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a platform library associated with the
user device; and
FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method for telecommunications
data usage management.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The following detailed description refers to the accompanying
drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in
the drawings and the following description to refer to the same or
similar elements. While embodiments of the disclosure may be
described, modifications, adaptations, and other implementations
are possible. For example, substitutions, additions, or
modifications may be made to the elements illustrated in the
drawings, and the methods described herein may be modified by
substituting, reordering, or adding stages to the disclosed
methods. Accordingly, the following detailed description does not
limit the disclosure. Instead, the proper scope of the disclosure
is defined by the appended claims.
Device functionality management may be provided. Specifically,
management of metered resources such as data usage and battery
power may be optimized to reduce overage charges and prioritize
applications as battery power is depleted. In some embodiments,
methods, systems, and/or apparatuses may be provided to aid in
ensuring that a device's data plan/subscription does not run out or
exceed a monthly allocation. In some embodiments, methods, systems,
and/or apparatuses may be provided to preserve battery life and aid
in ensuring that the battery level does not run out. For example,
features that are battery/data intensive, such as data transmission
protocols, global positioning services, etc. may be restricted to
wireless rather than cellular networks and/or home regions rather
than areas in which a mobile device may be subject to a roaming
surcharge.
In some situations, a phased approach for controlling telecom costs
may be provided. These phased cost controls may range from less to
more restrictive in the interest of efficiently providing corporate
resources to mobile devices. For example, controls may comprise any
and/or all of the following: allowing a user to acknowledge and/or
approve the download of messages that exceed a certain size when on
cellular connections, forcing attachments to be downloaded on WI-Fi
only if they exceed a certain size, force manual data
synchronization (e.g., the user must open the client) while device
is roaming, forcing attachments to be downloaded on Wi-Fi only
while the device is roaming, force synchronization over Wi-Fi only
when the device has used more than an allocated amount of data per
day, and/or forcing use of Wi-Fi only for multiple data operations.
Other controls may comprise reducing data requirements by
downloading partial data objects, such as the headers and/or
subject of emails.
In some embodiments, compliance and management rules may be used to
aid in the reduction of telecommunications expenses. For example,
roaming and/or international data usage charges may be reduced by
controlling the network traffic. Traffic rules may comprise usage
and/or cost caps for a given time period, such as a daily or
monthly basis, or for a predefined duration, such as during a
particular travel period. For example, compliance rules may allow
unlimited retrieval and sending of company email during an
international trip, but restrict web traffic for the same period.
Other compliance rules may comprise periodic evaluations of
services associated with a mobile device and reporting out of cost
efficiency. For example, a user's mobile device may be associated
with an international calling feature that carries a monthly fee,
but an evaluation of the user's activity may reveal no
international calls in a threshold period. In such a case, the
feature may be automatically disabled and/or reported to a telecom
administrator for action.
In some embodiments, wi-fi network access may be restricted to
subscribers to a particular service and/or those who agree to pay
an access rate and/or sign a license agreement. Cost analysis may
determine whether data requirements may result in higher costs for
using cellular and/or roaming data as opposed to paying for
wireless access, either on an as-needed or a subscription basis.
Further, determinations may be made as to whether particular wi-fi
network access points are associated with an existing access
allowance and/or license agreement. Such existing access may result
in greater efficiency and convenience to the user, as the device
may connect to such an access point without the user's
intervention, authorization, or review and acceptance of a license
agreement.
In some embodiments, existing applications may be configured to
take advantage of lower cost data access. For example, upon
connecting to a wireless network, a phone application may switch to
using Voice over IP (VOIP) to make calls rather than cellular
calls. This may be done without interaction with the user and/or
the user may be notified, such as through an alert, modification of
the application's icon or interface, or other tactile, visual
and/or audio notification mechanism. Furthermore, in some
embodiments, a user may be required to acknowledge and/or accept
responsibility for additional charges to override the use of a
lower cost network.
In some embodiments, mobile devices may be provided with greater
carrier integration to enable and/or disable features and plans as
needed. For example, a mobile device may prompt a user to update
their plan settings upon detection of the user's presence within a
travel hub, such as a cruise port or airport. For another example,
a mobile device may determine that the user of the mobile device is
about to travel internationally based on application data (e.g.,
travel itineraries in an airline's app) or other documents (e.g.,
email from a travel agent) and automatically enable an
international data plan appropriate to the projected amount of data
that will be consumed over the duration of the trip. Such
projections may be based on the user's personal trends and past
behaviors and/or upon averages across multiple users in a similar
role within the enterprise.
Other settings may also be put into place to reduce costs when
traveling and/or roaming, such as conversion of data traffic into
different formats. For example, text messages may be intercepted by
a management console and/or telecom carrier and converted into
emails. Such a conversion reduces both the per text cost often
applied, and allows for the message to be retrieved when data
traffic costs may be minimized, such as when the mobile device is
on a wireless network rather than using a roaming cellular network.
Similarly, phone calls, text messages, and other data
communications may be configured to be forwarded to another mobile
device while a user's primary mobile device is outside of its home
region. For example, a user may be issued a temporary mobile phone
with international access from a pool of enterprise devices.
The technical effects of some embodiments of this disclosure may
include establishing control of access to networks and assets when
access lists may not be predefined, and reducing and/or eliminating
the burden of predefining access lists to control access to
networks and assets. Moreover, the technical effects of some
embodiments may include enhancing network access control by
assigning specific access rights based on access lists to client
devices authorized to access associated network beacons and
assets.
Other technical effects of some embodiments of this disclosure may
offer group management solutions to managing content access and
distribution. For example, users of a sales group may have read
access to marketing documents and presentations, while users in a
marketing group may be able to edit and/or annotate the market
documents. Similarly, users in an accounting or business services
group may be the only ones with access to enterprise financial
documents. These access controls may be provided by distributing
authorization credentials to devices associated with users of the
respective group. Each user may then authenticate to their device,
such as by inputting a username, password, authentication key,
and/or biometric data, before the device may access and/or retrieve
the content authorized for distribution to that device. These
authentication types are provided as examples only and are not
intended to be limiting as many other types of user authentication
are in use and/or may be contemplated in the future.
Content access may be further limited by policies that enforce
other compliance restrictions based on properties of the device
such as time, location, device security and/or integrity, presence
of another device, software versions, required software, etc. For
example, educational settings may designate student and instructor
groups. These groups may be further assigned to specific classes
such that only student group members associated with a given class
may access content associated with that class. Further, edit access
to the content for the class may be restricted to the user(s) in
the instructor group and/or student group members may be permitted
to add content that only the instructor may view (e.g., homework
assignments.) In some embodiments, the instructor group user(s) may
be able to push content to student group user(s) and/or activate
temporary control of the students' devices to prevent the devices
from accessing non-class related content during class time.
To reduce the cost of ownership of user devices and cellular and/or
data service charges associated with use of such user devices, an
enterprise such as an educational institution and/or a business may
implement a "bring your own device" (BYOD) policy to allow an
employee to use his/her personal device to access enterprise assets
rather than provide the user with an enterprise owned user device
for such purpose. To support such a BYOD policy, a user device
administrator (i.e. IT administrator) may manage a group of
personally owned user devices, via a management application
executed by a management server in communication with the user
devices over a network, to provide the user devices with secure
access to enterprise assets.
The user device administrator may enroll user devices into the
management system to monitor the user devices for security
vulnerabilities and to configure the user devices for secure access
to enterprise assets. The user device administrator may create
and/or configure at least one configuration profile via a user
interface provided by the management system. A configuration
profile may comprise a set of instructions and/or settings that
configure the operations and/or functions of a user device, which
may ensure the security of the accessed assets. The user device
administrator may, for instance, configure an enterprise email
configuration profile by specifying the network address and access
credentials of an enterprise email account that the users of the
user devices are authorized to access. Other configuration policies
may include, but are not limited to, hardware, software,
application, function, cellular, text message, and data use
restrictions, which may be based at least in part on the current
time and/or location of the restricted user device. The user device
administrator may thereafter deploy the configuration profiles to
specific user devices, such as to groups of user devices of users
with similar roles, privileges and/or titles.
Access credentials may uniquely identify a client device and/or the
user of the client device. For example, the access credentials for
a user may comprise a username, a password, and/or biometric data
related to facial recognition, retina recognition, fingerprint
recognition, and the like. Access credentials related to a device
may uniquely identify the device and may comprise, for example, a
unique hardware identifier such as a GUID (Globally Unique
Identifier), UUID (Universally Unique Identifier), UDID (Unique
Device Identifier), serial number, IMEI (Internationally Mobile
Equipment Identity), Wi-Fi MAC (Media Access Control) address,
Bluetooth MAC address, a CPU ID, and/or the like, or any
combination of two or more such hardware identifiers. Additionally,
the access credentials may be represented by a unique software
identifier such a token or certificate, based at least in part on
the aforementioned unique hardware identifiers.
The user devices may also have access to personal configuration
profiles that may be created by the users of the user devices. The
user devices may, for instance, have access to a personal email
configuration profile that was created by a user of the user device
to provide access to her personal email account. Thus, a user
device enrolled in a BYOD management system may have more than one
configuration profile for a given use of the user device, such as a
personal email configuration profile and an enterprise email
configuration profile that are both used for accessing email
accounts on the user device.
The user devices may be instructed to enable and/or disable certain
configuration profiles according to authorization rights specified
by the user device administrator, such as location and/or
time-based authorization rights. For example, a BYOD policy may
specify that user devices enrolled in the BYOD management system
are authorized for personal use outside of the workday and are
authorized for business use during the workday. Similarly, a BYOD
device may be restricted to enterprise uses while in work locations
and/or prohibited from accessing enterprise assets while outside of
secure work locations. To implement such a policy, a user device
administrator may instruct the user devices to toggle between
personal configuration policies and enterprise configuration
policies based on factors such as the current time and/or location
associated with the user device.
The current time may be based on the current time at the current
location of the user device, which may be determined by GPS, Wi-Fi,
Cellular Triangulation, etc., or may be based on the current time
at a configured primary location associated with the user device,
which may be the primary office location of an employee user of the
user device. As an example, time-based configuration profile
toggling may be provided by instructing a user device to enable
business configuration profiles and disable personal configuration
profiles while the current time is between 9 AM and 5 PM at the
current location of the user device, and to disable business
configuration profiles and enable personal configuration profiles
while the current time is between 5 PM and 9 AM at the current
location of the user device.
Consistent with embodiments of this disclosure, control over
metered resources may be provided. Metered resources may comprise,
for example, hardware resources, software resources, data
resources, and/or power resources. Hardware resources may comprise,
for example, access to hardware components, peripheral devices,
processing time, memory, and/or processor cores and/or threads.
Software resources may comprise, for example, data, programmatic
functionality, and/or device drivers. Data resources may comprise
storage amounts, access to particular data, certificates for
authentication, and/or data transmission and reception resources.
Power resources may comprise usage of a device's power supply,
whether it comprise battery power and/or outside power.
For example, a request to download a large file may be recognized
as consuming a large amount of metered data. User device 100 may
comprise a limited amount of pre-paid data and/or may receive a
periodic allotment of data from a data service provider (e.g., two
gigabytes per month). Exceeding the pre-paid or allocated data may
then incur a charge for additional data resources. As a user
consumes the metered data, compliance and/or cost control policies
may identify actions that may use the metered data and respond
accordingly, such as by prioritizing requests for use of the
metered resource and/or forbidding the performance of actions that
may use large amounts and/or a large percentage of the remaining
metered resource.
In some embodiments, non-approved applications may be limited
and/or prohibited from consuming metered resources. For example,
game applications that consume metered data may be prevented from
using data during work hours, or if a certain threshold of data
usage has been reached. In some embodiments, the threshold may be
statically defined, such by prohibiting certain applications
(either specifically or as a categorical group) from using more
than 10% of a monthly data quota. In some embodiments, the
threshold may be dynamic, such as by pro-rating the amount of data
the application may consume on a periodic (e.g., daily, weekly,
monthly, etc.) basis and/or reducing the amount of data the
application may consume as a monthly data quota is neared.
In some embodiments, a management server may attempt to communicate
with a mobile device, such as by requesting that the device
check-in with the management server. If the management server does
not receive a response from the device, or the management server
receives a response that the device has insufficient data
remaining, the management server may send a message to the device
to ask/instruct a user of the device to replenish the data plan to
a sufficient level and/or authorize the device to exceed the data
allocation, possibly at an additional cost. In some embodiments,
the management server may integrate with a carrier associated with
the mobile device to an extent to allow the management server to
request that the carrier replenish the data plan to a sufficient
level on behalf of the user of the device. In some embodiments, in
response to a failure to replenish the data plan by either the user
of the device or the carrier, the management server may send a
message to the device to prohibit the device from using
data-intensive features until the data plan is replenished. For
example, the device may be limited to wi-fi only data operations
once data level drops below configurable level.
In some embodiments, a management server may attempt to communicate
with a mobile device, such as by requesting that the device
check-in with the management server. If the management server does
not receive a response from the device, or the management server
receives a response that the device has insufficient battery power
remaining, the management server may send a message to the device
instructing the user of the device to replenish the battery to a
sufficient level. In response to a failure to replenish the
battery, the management server may send a message to the device to
prohibit the device from using battery-intensive features until the
battery is replenished.
In some embodiments, different data transmission protocols may be
enabled based on various conditions, such as availability of
resources, time and location of a device. Because cellular data
tends to be more expensive than wireless networking data,
restricting cellular usage until necessary is desirable to control
the cost of network usage. For instance, if content is required to
be distributed to a device in 7 days (such as for flight manuals
for FAA required monthly updates), then the device may be
restricted to downloading the content over wi-fi for the next 6
days. If the device does not come into contact with a wi-fi network
within the 6 day window, the device may toggle to enable cellular
transmission of the content on the last day to ensure that the
legally required documents are on the device before the required
date.
In some embodiments, control of the transmission protocol enabled
for distribution of content and/or assets may be based on the
location of the device. Public wi-fi networks may be untrusted, for
example, subjecting a device to potential security risks.
Non-native, or roaming, cellular networks may be similarly
susceptible to potential security risks. Additionally, charges
related to accessing "guest" wi-fi networks and "roaming" cellular
networks may apply. Location-based policies may be configured for
which transmission protocols are allowed. For example, a device in
the USA may be allowed to use any wi-fi network, including public
and/or guest wireless networks, such as those at coffee shops and
hotels, whereas the same device, while in other countries, may not
be allowed to use public wi-fi networks because of the potential
threats to asset security. Similarly, the device may be only be
allowed to access roaming cellular networks in specific countries,
due to costs and/or concern over the security of regional cellular
carriers. In some embodiments, toggling between cellular and wi-fi
data may be associated with a learned configuration. For example,
the configuration may take into account a user's past movements to
determine whether the device is likely to be on a secure wi-fi
network in time. The configuration may also take the size of the
data chunk to be downloaded into account to ensure the toggle is
made in time before the info is needed. In some embodiments, an
option to ask the user whether to proceed if data roaming charges
will apply or a large amount of data will be required may be
presented for approval and/or confirmation. In some embodiments,
application use may be disabled unless wi-fi network access and/or
a virtual private network (VPN) is enabled. This may be used in
conjunction with other network tunneling techniques, such as where
an application routes network traffic through a security or
management server.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a user device 100 comprising a
processor 105 and a memory 110. Depending on the configuration and
type of device, memory 110 may comprise, but is not limited to,
volatile (e.g. random access memory (RAM)), non-volatile (e.g.
read-only memory (ROM)), flash memory, or any combination. Memory
110 may store executable programs and related data components of
various applications and modules for execution by user device 100.
Memory 110 may be coupled to processor 105 for storing
configuration data and operational parameters, such as commands
that are recognized by processor 105.
Basic functionality of user device 100 may be provided by an
operating system 115 contained in memory 100. One or more
programmed software applications may be executed by utilizing the
computing resources in user device 100. Applications stored in
memory 110 may be executed by processor 105 (e.g., a central
processing unit or digital signal processor) under the auspices of
operating system 115. For example, processor 105 may be configured
to execute applications such as web browsing applications, email
applications, instant messaging applications, and/or other
applications capable of receiving and/or providing data.
Data provided as input to and generated as output from the
application(s) may be stored in memory 110 and read by processor
105 from memory 110 as needed during the course of application
program execution. Input data may be data stored in memory 110 by a
secondary application or other source, either internal or external
to user device 100, or possibly anticipated by the application and
thus created with the application program at the time it was
generated as a software application program. Data may be received
via any of a plurality of communication ports 120(A)-(C) of user
device 100. Communication ports 120(A)-(C) may allow user device
100 to communicate with other devices, and may comprise components
such as an Ethernet network adapter, a modem, and/or a wireless
network connectivity interface. For example, the wireless network
connectivity interface may comprise one and/or more of a PCI
(Peripheral Component Interconnect) card, USB (Universal Serial
Bus) interface, PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International
Association) card, SDIO (Secure Digital Input-Output) card,
NewCard, Cardbus, a modem, a wireless radio transceiver, and/or the
like.
User device 100 may also receive data as user input via an input
component 125, such as a keyboard, a mouse, a pen, a stylus, a
sound input device, a touch input device, a capture device, etc. A
capture device may be operative to record user(s) and capture
spoken words, motions and/or gestures, such as with a camera and/or
microphone. The capture device may comprise any speech and/or
motion detection device capable of detecting the speech and/or
actions of the user(s).
Data generated by applications may be stored in memory 110 by the
processor 105 during the course of application program execution.
Data may be provided to the user during application program
execution by means of a display 130. Consistent with embodiments of
this disclosure, display 130 may comprise an integrated display
screen and/or an output port coupled to an external display
screen.
Memory 110 may also comprise a platform library 140. Platform
library 140 may comprise a collection of functionality useful to
multiple applications, such as may be provided by an application
programming interface (API) to a software development kit (SDK).
These utilities may be accessed by applications as necessary so
that each application does not have to contain these utilities thus
allowing for memory consumption savings and a consistent user
interface. The platform library 140 may also provide functionality
associated with app-wrapping, defined herein as applications that
have been modified to add additional functionality. For example, an
existing game application may be wrapped to provide support for
compliance rules such as those that prohibit the application from
executing during work hours. The platform library 140 is described
in greater detail below with respect to FIG. 3.
Furthermore, embodiments of this disclosure may be practiced in
conjunction with a graphics library, other operating systems, or
any other application program and is not limited to any particular
application or system. The devices described with respect to the
Figures may have additional features or functionality. For example,
user device 100 may also include additional data storage devices
(removable and/or non-removable) such as, for example, magnetic
disks, optical disks, or tape (not shown).
User device 100 may comprise a desktop computer, a laptop computer,
a personal digital assistant, a cellular telephone, a set-top box,
a music player, a web pad, a tablet computer system, a game
console, and/or any other device with like capability.
User device 100 may store in a data store 150 a device profile 152
and a plurality of user preferences 154. Device profile 152 may
comprise an indication of the current position of user device 100
and/or indications of the hardware, software, and security
attributes which describe user device 100. For instance, device
profile 152 may represent hardware specifications of user device
100, version and configuration information of various software
program and hardware components installed on user device 100, data
transmission protocols enabled on user device 100, version and
usage information of various assets stored on user device 100,
and/or any other attributes associated with the state of user
device 100. The device profile 152 may further comprise data
indicating a date of last virus scan of user device 100, a date of
last access by an IT representative, a date of last service by the
IT representative, and/or any other data indicating maintenance and
usage of user device 100. Furthermore, the device profile 152 may
comprise indications of the past behavior of associated users, such
as assets accessed, charges for asset accesses, and the inventory
accessed from such assets. User preferences 154 may comprise a
listing of factors that may affect the experience of the user. In
particular, user preferences 154 may include indications of the
user's age, gender, bodily traits, preferred asset types, preferred
venue assets, and combinations thereof.
User device 100 may also store at least one asset 156 in the data
store 150. Assets 156, for instance, may include any electronic
data, such as databases, applications, text files, word processor
files, spreadsheet files, presentation files, graphic files, audio
files, photographic files, video files, applications and
application files, and/or the like. More specifically, assets 156
may include at least one of the following file types: data files,
audio files, video files, three-dimensional image files, raster
image files, vector image files, page layout files, spreadsheet
files, database files, executable files, CAD files, web files,
plug-in files, font files, system files, settings files, encoded
files, compressed files, disk image files, developer files, backup
files, and/or any other files.
The user device 100 may further be configured to execute various
applications. For example, the user device 100 may be configured to
execute applications such as web browsing applications, email
applications, instant messaging applications, and/or other
applications capable of receiving and/or rendering assets 156 on
display 130. Any applications capable of receiving and/or rendering
assets 156 on display 130 are generally referred to herein as a
"client side application". The client side application(s) may be
stored in the memory of the user device 100. In some embodiments, a
client side application may comprise a secure container program
that may be authorized to receive and render selected assets 156.
The secure container program may further contain a decryption key
specific to a distribution service that enables the secure
container program to decrypt assets 156 transmitted by the
distribution service that have been encrypted by the distribution
service to prevent unauthorized programs from accessing the assets
156 on the user device 100.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram view of an operating environment 200
comprising user device 100 in communication with a asset server
210, which may provide one or more asset(s) 215, and a compliance
server 220, which may provide a management application 230, via a
network 240. User device 100, asset server 210, and/or compliance
server 220 may be operative to communicate via network 240. In some
embodiments, management application 230 may be operative to execute
on user device 100 and/or asset server 210.
The compliance server 220 may comprise, for example, cloud-based
solutions, server computers and/or any other system providing
device management capability. For purposes of convenience, the
compliance server 220 is referred to herein in the singular,
although it is understood that a plurality of servers may be
employed in the arrangements as descried herein. Furthermore, in
some embodiments, multiple compliance servers 220 may operate on
the same server computer. The components executed on the compliance
server 220, for example, may comprise various applications,
services, processes, systems, engines, or functionality not
disclosed in detail herein.
The compliance server 220 may comprise management application 230
comprising a plurality of compliance rules and/or policies that may
be applicable to user device 100. While the management application
230 is shown as within the compliance server 220, the management
application 230 may alternately be within the user device 100
and/or remotely located on the asset server 210 and may be remotely
updated periodically by compliance server 220 according to common
over-the-air (OTA) updating methods. Attempts by user device 100 to
perform certain functionality on user device 100 may require user
device 100 to be in compliance with one and/or more of the
compliance policies/rules. Depending on the sensitivity of a given
functionality, different compliance rules may be necessary to
ensure that the functionality is adequately restricted. Some
functionality may only require ensuring that the proper user is
requesting the functionality. Other assets may require compliance
with more stringent authorization rules, such as determining
whether the functionality is restricted during certain time
windows. Accordingly, user device 100 and/or compliance server 220
may be operative to determine whether the user of user device 100
is authorized to perform requested functionality at the time the
user requests to perform such functionality.
Compliance server 220 may use the compliance rules to impose
hardware restrictions regarding the use of specific wireless
devices and specific wireless device features, such as, for
instance, cameras, Bluetooth, IRDA, tethering, external storage, a
mobile access point, and/or other hardware restrictions. The
compliance rules may also impose software restrictions such as the
use of specific wireless device operating systems or applications,
internet browser restrictions, screen capture functionality, and/or
other software restrictions. Mobile device management restrictions
included in the compliance rules may comprise encryption
requirements, firmware versions, remote lock and wipe
functionalities, logging and reporting features, GPS tracking,
and/or other mobile device management features.
The compliance server 220 may determine whether the device
characteristics of a requesting device (e.g. user device 100)
satisfy one or more of the restrictions enumerated in the
compliance rules. For example, the compliance server 220 may
determine that a requesting device that has a camera, Bluetooth
capability, and is executing a specified version of an operating
system is compliant with the compliance rules. As another example,
the compliance server 220 may determine that a requesting device
that is associated with an external storage unit and has screen
capture functionality enabled is not compliant with the compliance
rules.
In some embodiments, an agent application 234 executed on user
device 100 may make the compliance determination based on the
device profile, credentials, and/or user preferences. For instance,
the agent application 234 may monitor calls by applications, such
as a client application 235, and/or a secure application 236, on
user device 100 to the operating system 115 of user device 100 to
determine whether user device 100 seeks to perform functionality
associated with one and/or more of the compliance rules described
above. Additionally, the agent application 234 on user device 100
may approve and/or deny the associated functionality requests. For
instance, the agent application 234 may instruct operating system
115 on user device 100 to disable the camera of user device 100 in
response to a determination that a compliance rule specifies that
the camera cannot be used at the time of the request by the user
device 100 to operate the camera.
In some embodiments, the agent application 234 executed on user
device 100 may rely on compliance server 220 to determine whether a
given functionality request on user device 100 is permitted
according to the compliance rules. For instance, the agent
application may transmit a functionality request, a device profile,
credentials, and/or user preferences to compliance server 220 so
that compliance server 220 may determine whether user device 100
seeks to perform functionality that may violate a given compliance
rule. Additionally, compliance server 220 may approve and/or deny
the associated functionality requests. For instance, compliance
server 220 may instruct the agent application 234 on user device
100 to instruct operating system 115 to activate a VPN security
profile prior to opening a document and/or link.
In some embodiments, the compliance rules may comprise device
settings and/or executable instructions that define which
functionality the operating system 115 of user device 100 is
authorized to perform. Furthermore, the compliance rules may
comprise a list of functions, such as those provided by APIs
associated with operating system 115 and/or platform library 140,
that may be treated as protected functions. Calls to these
functions, such as calls to retrieve login credentials, may result
in checks by user device 100 and/or compliance server 220 for
compliance with the compliance rules.
In some embodiments, the agent 234 may perform a set of ordered
operations to accomplish a requested function. These operation sets
may be defined by the user device 100 and/or compliance server 220
and may comprise one and/or more operations to determine whether
the user device 100 is in compliance with policies from policy
store 230. The agent 234 may control at least one respective
computing resource of the user device 100. The operations may
include configuring at least one respective computing resource of
the user device 100 such as restricting access to at least one
asset managed by the agent 234.
The Network 240 may comprise, for example, any type of wired and/or
wireless network such as a wireless local area network (WLAN), a
wireless wide area network (WWAN), Ethernet, fiber-optic network,
and/or any other type of wired and/or wireless network now known or
later developed. Additionally, the Network 240 may be or include
the Internet, intranets, extranets, microwave networks, satellite
communications, cellular systems, PCS, infrared communications,
global area networks, or other suitable networks, etc., or any
combination of such networks.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating greater detail regarding the
platform library 140. An application 310 and/or a wrapped
application 320 may communicate with platform library 140 via a
plurality of function calls comprising an application programming
interface (API) 330. In some embodiments, application 310 and
wrapped application 320 may utilize the same calls. In some
embodiments, application 310 and wrapped application 320 may
utilize different versions of the function calls despite being
associated with the same and/or similar functionality. The function
calls may allow the applications to access various features and
functionality provided by the platform library 140, such as a set
of device management functions 350, a set of application management
functions 352, and/or a set of content management functions
354.
Application 310 may comprise an application that has been modified
at the source code level to incorporate calls associated with a
software development kit (SDK). The SDK may provide a set of
function calls that may be incorporated via a library during the
application's compile step and may then call out to API 330.
Wrapped application 320 may comprise a modified binary executable
file. The modifications may comprise the injection of precompiled
functions to an existing application that may call out to API 330.
In some embodiments, app-wrapping may be accomplished dynamically
upon installation and/or execution of an application without
requiring recompilation of the application's source code.
App-wrapping may thus comprise a preferred and/or more convenient
means of modifying an application for which the source code is
unavailable.
In some embodiments, compliance rules such as those provided by
compliance server 220 may control which functions of API 330 are
enabled and/or used in application 310 and wrapped application 320.
For example, users in a sales group may be permitted by compliance
server 220 to download an enterprise's expense submitting
application without modification, while users in an accounting
group may receive a modified version of the same application. The
modified version may rely on functionality provided by platform
library 140 to enhance the application's security, such as by
adding a call to an encryption function for communications from the
application that are intended for transmission over network
240.
Various functions may be provided by platform library 240,
including authentication, authorization, and determination
functions. Device management functions 350 may comprise, for
example, functions operative to determine whether user device 100
has been compromised and/or jailbroken, and/or to identify a
location of the device via accessing a global positioning system
associated with the device. Application management functions 352
may comprise, for example, functions operative to encrypt data
and/or communications used by application 310 and wrapped
application 320, to distribute configuration information, to
provide authorization and/or credentials, and/or to provide logging
and reporting functionality. Content management functions 354 may
comprise, for example, functions to update shared content data used
by application 310 and wrapped application 320 and/or to provide
branding functionality to alter the appearance of application 310
and wrapped application 320.
Other management functionality may comprise enforcing compliance
rules and/or restrictions distributed by compliance server 220,
which may be accomplished at the device, application, and/or
content level. Such compliance rules may comprise time, date and/or
location based restrictions on accessing user device 100,
application 310, wrapped application 320, local assets 156, and/or
remote assets 212.
In some embodiments, performance of various actions by user device
100 may be contingent on approval, such as may be provided by agent
234 and/or a call to a compliance verification function via API
330. Such approval may require a determination as to whether
necessary resources are available and/or authorized for use to
accomplish the action. In cases where the necessary resources
comprise metered resources, the compliance rules may enforce
restrictions on the use of those metered resources as such
resources may be associated with an additional cost to replenish
once they are depleted.
FIG. 4 is a flow chart setting forth the general stages involved in
a method 400 consistent with embodiments of this disclosure for
providing telecommunications data usage management. Method 400 may
be implemented using elements of operating environment 200 as
described above. Ways to implement the stages of method 400 will be
described in greater detail below. Method 400 may begin at starting
block 405 and proceed to stage 410 where user device 100 may
receive a request to perform a network operation. For example, an
agent application executing on user device 100 may intercept a
request to download a web page from a web browser application. For
another example, an e-mail application may comprise application 310
and may request a check for new messages. Such a request may
utilize API 330 such that the application management functions 352
may be used to process the request. In some embodiments, the
operating system 115 of user device 100 may recognize the request
as a network request and handle additional processing in accordance
with method 400 as described in greater detail below.
From stage 410, method 400 may determine whether the network
operation request is subject to a management policy. For example,
compliance server 220 may provide one and/or more policies to user
device 100 associated with controlling and/or restricting the
ability of user device 100 and/or any applications executing
thereon (e.g., web browser app 235, e-mail client 236, and/or
secure app 237) to access network 240. Such policies may comprise,
for example, restrictions on exceeding an allocated amount of data
for a configurable period, such as a day or billing cycle. The
policies may be associated with all data traffic for a given
network (e.g., a cellular network, a roaming network, and/or a
metered network) and/or the data management policies may be
variable based on which application is making the request. For
example, a user who is a member of a sales group going into a
meeting with a potential customer may have a compliance policy on
user device 100 that allows high priority retrieval of sales
presentations up to an hour before such a meeting begins and/or any
time the user is at a customer's and/or prospect's office location.
For another example, a user who is a member of an executive group
may have a compliance policy on user device 100 that permits high
priority retrieval of all message headers on any network if it has
been more than an hour since the last retrieval. For yet another
example, a user who is a member of a doctor or tech support group
may have a compliance policy on user device 100 that defines all
incoming and/or outgoing communications as high priority while the
user is on call.
If the request is determined to be subject to at least one
management policy at stage 415, method 400 may advance to stage 420
where user device 100 may determine whether the request is in
compliance with the at least one management policy. For example
user device 100 may determine that the app making the request for a
data communication has exceeded its allotted quota of data. In some
embodiments, the management policy may comprise different
compliance requirements depending on the type of network in use.
For example, user device 100 may identify one and/or more cellular
data network and/or one and/or more wireless data networks in
communications range of user device 100. At least one cellular data
network may comprise a subscriber cellular network associated with
a monthly and/or pre-paid data plan. Another cellular data network,
if available, may comprise a non-subscriber and/or "roaming" data
network that may incur additional usage charges. The monthly data
plan network may permit greater data usage in the management policy
than does the roaming data network.
If the request is determined to be out of compliance with the
management policy, method 400 may advance to stage 425 where user
device 100 may determine whether an override of the management
policy has been made. For example, the requested communication may
comprise a high priority communication. In some embodiments, a
user's data communications may be considered high priority under a
number of configurable circumstances, such as when the user is a
member of an executive group, the user device 100 has been out of
contact for a given period of time, a message to be sent and/or
received is labeled as high priority, the user device 100 is in a
geo-fenced location defined as high priority, or a current time is
defined as high priority. For example, a user who is a member of a
sales group going into a meeting with a potential customer may have
a compliance policy on user device 100 that allows high priority
retrieval of sales presentations up to an hour before such a
meeting begins and/or any time the user is at a customer's and/or
prospect's office location. For another example, a user who is a
member of an executive group may have a compliance policy on user
device 100 that permits high priority retrieval of all message
headers on any network if it has been more than an hour since the
last retrieval. For yet another example, a user who is a member of
a doctor or tech support group may have a compliance policy on user
device 100 that defines all incoming and/or outgoing communications
as high priority while the user is on call.
In some embodiments, an out-of-compliance result may be overridden
manually by the user. For example, user device 100 may display a
notification that the request is not authorized and that data may
not be sent and/or received until a connection to an authorized
network is established. The user may choose to override this
restriction by designating a particular communications request
(e.g., an outgoing e-mail). User device 100 may also be operative
to detect an emergency condition, such as an outgoing call to a
police department, fire department, hospital, security, etc. and
automatically designate the communication as high priority. Many
mobile devices, particularly cell phones, are equipped with an
emergency operation mode to allow emergency calls to be placed even
when the device is locked or not in communication with an
associated carrier's network. Communications in this mode may be
treated as high priority.
If the management policy is overridden at stage 425, method 400 may
advance to stage 430 where user device 100 may log the occurrence.
For example, a local event log entry may be created comprising
details about the communication (to whom, where from, contents,
time/date, location, etc.), any incurred charges, and/or whether
the communication was initiated according to a compliance policy or
by manual user override. The log entry may be submitted to
compliance server 220 during a scheduled sync, immediately, and/or
once a connection to an authorized network is established.
After determining that the request is not subject to a management
policy at stage 415, or after determining that the request is in
compliance with the management policy at stage 420, method 400 may
advance to stage 235 where user device 100 may cause the requested
communication to be performed. For example, user device 100 may
synchronize with an email server, retrieve one and/or more of
assets 212 from asset server 210, and/or synchronize data with
compliance server 220.
If the management policy is not overridden at stage 425, method 400
may advance to stage 440 where user device 100 may restrict network
access. For example, the requested communication may be discarded
without being performed. In some embodiments, a user may be
notified of the failure. In some embodiments, a log entry
comprising details of the rejected communication may be created,
similar to the log entry described above with respect to stage 430.
Method 400 may then end at stage 450.
Methods, systems, apparatuses, and/or computer-readable media for
providing telecommunications data usage management may be provided.
In some embodiments, a network state associated with a
communication network may be identified. Such a network state may
comprise, for example, a determination of whether a network
connection is active, a determination of whether a network
connection comprises a metered connection (e.g., a periodic quota
or pre-paid data plan), a type of network connection (e.g.,
wireless, wired, cellular, roaming, etc.), a calculation of an
amount of data used (e.g., data used by a device, a network, a
user, and/or an application), and/or a calculation of an amount of
allocated data usage remaining. If the network state is in
compliance with a data usage policy, the communication may proceed;
when the network state is not in compliance, access to the
communication network may be restricted. Such restriction may
comprise, for example, preventing use of the communication network
by at least one application, limiting an amount of data permitted
to be transmitted over the communication network, and/or limiting
an amount of data permitted to be received over the communication
network.
In some embodiments, a request to perform a network operation may
be received from a particular application. A failure to comply with
a management policy related to a communication network may result
in restricted access to the network interface for that
application.
In some embodiments, a priority associated with a request to
perform the network operation may be identified. A determination
may be made as to whether the request to perform the network
operation is in compliance with the data usage policy according to
the calculated amount of consumed data, the communication network,
and the priority associated with the request. If the network
operation is not in compliance with at least one of a possible
plurality of policies, user confirmation of whether to proceed with
causing the requested network operation to be performed may be
requested.
In some embodiments, a request to perform an action may be
received. Upon determining that the action is associated with a
metered resource, a further determination may be made as to whether
the request complies with at least one management policy. In
response to determining that the request complies with the at least
one management policy, the requested action may be authorized
and/or caused to be performed. The metered resource may comprise,
for example a data communication resource, a power resource, a
financial resource, and/or a hardware resource. In some
embodiments, modification of an application may comprise
introducing new function calls to an application programming
interface (API) operative to receive the request to perform the
action, such as by modifying source code and recompiling the
application to add a software development kit (SDK) library and/or
modifying the binary executable of an application via app-wrapping.
Such API calls may, for example, modify an application to redirect
a plurality of requests to perform action to a second
application.
In some embodiments, receiving the request to perform the action
may comprise intercepting the request from an application by an
agent application. In some embodiments, determining whether the
action is associated with a metered resource may comprise
determining whether authorizing the action to be performed would
consume at least a portion of the metered resource via identifying
a plurality of functions associated with the action to be performed
and computing an amount of the metered resource consumed by each of
the plurality of functions. Determining whether the request
complies with the at least one management policy may comprise
determining whether the computed amount of the metered resource
consumed by each of the plurality of functions exceeds a quota
amount of the metered resource.
In some embodiments, a priority may be associated with the request
to perform the action. If the priority exceeds a threshold value,
but the request is determined to be non-compliant with a management
and/or cost control policy, a notification and/or a request for a
user to override the policy may be displayed.
In some embodiments, upon receiving a request to perform an action
associated with an application, a determination as to whether
performing the action will utilize a metered resource may be made.
If so, a further determination may be made as to whether the
request complies with at least one cost compliance policy and, in
response to determining that the request complies with the at least
one cost compliance policy, the action may be caused and/or
authorize to be performed. Such cost compliance policies may, for
example, be associated with a monthly subscription and/or a
pre-paid quantity of the metered resource. The compliance policies
may comprise a plurality of factors and/or conditions, such as
location of a device, time of the request, type of request, and/or
category of request (e.g., work or personal).
In some embodiments, user device 100 may identify one and/or more
available wireless networks, determine whether any of the available
wireless networks comprises an authorized wireless network, and, if
so, establish a connection with the available wireless network. One
and/or more data communications may then be performed via the
authorized wireless network rather than a second network, such as a
roaming cellular network. Determining whether the available
wireless network comprises the authorized wireless network may
comprise determining whether an identifier associated with the
available wireless network is included in a list of authorized
wireless network identifiers, such as those associated with a
master license agreement and/or those that comply with at least one
management rule. The master license agreement may comprise a
subscriber and/or end user license agreement associated with
multiple networks in one and/or more locations, such as a license
agreement associated with a restaurant chain that offers wireless
network access in its various locations. In some embodiments, the
available wireless network may comprise, for example, a
telephony-based network, a cellular data network, a Bluetooth.RTM.
network, an 802.11 compliant network.
In some embodiments, causing the at least one data communication to
be performed via the available wireless network instead of the
second available network may comprise intercepting the at least one
data communication from an application. For example, an e-mail
application may attempt a synchronization operation with a remote
e-mail server. An agent application and/or an operating system
process on user device 100 may prevent the synchronization from
occurring over a default communication network until a connection
to an authorized network has become available. In some embodiments,
causing the at least one data communication to be performed via the
available wireless network instead of the second available network
may comprise modifying the intercepted at least one data
communication into a different format. For example, a text message
may be sent as e-mail instead, or a voicemail may be transcribed to
text to make for a smaller upload/download size for the data
communication.
In some embodiments, an application may be modified to check for
the presence of an authorized network before attempting to perform
a data communication. Such a modification may be accomplished by
re-compiling the source code of the application to include a
Software Development Kit with the appropriate libraries and/or
using app-wrapping techniques to modify a binary version of the
application. In some embodiments, causing the at least one data
communication to be performed via the available wireless network
instead of the second available network may comprise denying access
to the second network while the authorized network is
available.
In some embodiments, identifying the at least one available
wireless network may comprise detecting a wireless network access
point in communicative range of the apparatus comprising a
minimally acceptable signal strength. The acceptable signal
strength may comprise a configurable value that may be adaptive to
the type and/or priority of the communication. For example, an
e-mail download may accept a default signal strength as acceptable,
but an emergency communication may accept a lower acceptable signal
strength, while a video conference data communication may require a
higher acceptable signal strength.
The embodiments and functionalities described herein may operate
via a multitude of computing systems, including wired and wireless
computing systems, mobile computing systems (e.g., mobile
telephones, tablet or slate type computers, laptop computers,
etc.). In addition, the embodiments and functionalities described
herein may operate over distributed systems, where application
functionality, memory, data storage and retrieval and various
processing functions may be operated remotely from each other over
a distributed computing network, such as the Internet or an
intranet. User interfaces and information of various types may be
displayed via on-board computing device displays or via remote
display units associated with one or more computing devices. For
example user interfaces and information of various types may be
displayed and interacted with on a wall surface onto which user
interfaces and information of various types are projected.
Interaction with the multitude of computing systems with which
embodiments of this disclosure may be practiced include, keystroke
entry, touch screen entry, voice or other audio entry, gesture
entry where an associated computing device is equipped with
detection (e.g., camera) functionality for capturing and
interpreting user gestures for controlling the functionality of the
computing device, and the like. The Figures above and their
associated descriptions provide a discussion of a variety of
operating environments in which embodiments of this disclosure may
be practiced. However, the devices and systems illustrated and
discussed with respect to the Figures are for purposes of example
and illustration and are not limiting of a vast number of computing
device configurations that may be utilized for practicing
embodiments of this disclosure as described herein.
The term computer readable media as used herein may include
computer storage media. Computer storage media may include volatile
and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in
any method or technology for storage of information, such as
computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules,
or other data. System memory, removable storage, and non-removable
storage are all computer storage media examples (i.e., memory
storage.) Computer storage media may include, but is not limited
to, RAM, ROM, electrically erasable read-only memory (EEPROM),
flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile
disks (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic
tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or
any other medium which can be used to store.
The term computer readable media as used herein may also include
communication media. Communication media may be embodied by
computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules,
non-transitory media, and/or other data in a modulated data signal,
such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism, and includes
any information delivery media. The term "modulated data signal"
may describe a signal that has one or more characteristics set or
changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By
way of example, and not limitation, communication media may include
wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and
wireless media such as acoustic, radio frequency (RF), infrared,
and other wireless media.
A number of applications and data files may be used to perform
processes and/or methods as described above. The aforementioned
processes are examples, and a processing unit may perform other
processes. Other programming modules that may be used in accordance
with embodiments of this disclosure may include electronic mail,
calendar, and contacts applications, data processing applications,
word processing applications, spreadsheet applications, database
applications, slide presentation applications, drawing or
computer-aided application programs, etc.
Generally, consistent with embodiments of this disclosure, program
modules may include routines, programs, components, data
structures, and other types of structures that may perform
particular tasks or that may implement particular abstract data
types. Moreover, embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced
with other computer system configurations, including hand-held
devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or
programmable consumer electronics, minicomputers, mainframe
computers, and the like. Embodiments of this disclosure may also be
practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are
performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a
communications network. In a distributed computing environment,
program modules may be located in both local and remote memory
storage devices.
Furthermore, embodiments of this disclosure may be practiced in an
electrical circuit comprising discrete electronic elements,
packaged or integrated electronic chips containing logic gates, a
circuit utilizing a microprocessor, or on a single chip containing
electronic elements or microprocessors. Embodiments of this
disclosure may also be practiced using other technologies capable
of performing logical operations such as, for example, AND, OR, and
NOT, including but not limited to mechanical, optical, fluidic, and
quantum technologies. In addition, embodiments of the disclosure
may be practiced within a general purpose computer or in any other
circuits or systems.
Embodiments of this disclosure may, for example, be implemented as
a computer process and/or method, a computing system, an apparatus,
device, or appliance, and/or as an article of manufacture, such as
a computer program product or computer readable media. The computer
program product may be a computer storage media readable by a
computer system and encoding a computer program of instructions for
executing a computer process. The computer program product may also
be a propagated signal on a carrier readable by a computing system
and encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a
computer process. Accordingly, the present disclosure may be
embodied in hardware and/or in software (including firmware,
resident software, micro-code, etc.). In other words, embodiments
of the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program
product on a computer-usable or computer-readable storage medium
having computer-usable or computer-readable program code embodied
in the medium for use by or in connection with an instruction
execution system. A computer-usable or computer-readable medium may
be any medium that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or
transport the program for use by or in connection with the
instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.
The computer-usable or computer-readable medium may be, for example
but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical,
electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus,
device, or propagation medium. More specific computer-readable
medium examples (a non-exhaustive list), the computer-readable
medium may include the following: an electrical connection having
one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a random access
memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable
read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, and a
portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM). Note that the
computer-usable or computer-readable medium could even be paper or
another suitable medium upon which the program is printed, as the
program can be electronically captured, via, for instance, optical
scanning of the paper or other medium, then compiled, interpreted,
or otherwise processed in a suitable manner, if necessary, and then
stored in a computer memory.
Embodiments of this disclosure may be practiced via a
system-on-a-chip (SOC) where each and/or many of the elements
described above may be integrated onto a single integrated circuit.
Such an SOC device may include one or more processing units,
graphics units, communications units, system virtualization units
and various application functionalities, all of which may be
integrated (or "burned") onto the chip substrate as a single
integrated circuit. When operating via an SOC, the functionality,
described herein, with respect to training and/or interacting with
any element may operate via application-specific logic integrated
with other components of the computing device/system on the single
integrated circuit (chip).
Embodiments of this disclosure are described above with reference
to block diagrams and/or operational illustrations of methods,
systems, and computer program products according to embodiments of
the disclosure. The functions/acts noted in the blocks may occur
out of the order as shown in any flowchart. For example, two blocks
shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially
concurrently or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse
order, depending upon the functionality/acts involved.
While certain embodiments have been described, other embodiments
may exist. Furthermore, although embodiments of the present
disclosure have been described as being associated with data stored
in memory and other storage mediums, data can also be stored on or
read from other types of computer-readable media, such as secondary
storage devices, like hard disks, floppy disks, or a CD-ROM, a
carrier wave from the Internet, or other forms of RAM or ROM.
Further, the disclosed methods' stages may be modified in any
manner, including by reordering stages and/or inserting or deleting
stages, without departing from the disclosure.
Embodiments of the present disclosure, for example, are described
above with reference to block diagrams and/or operational
illustrations of methods, systems, and computer program products
according to embodiments of the disclosure. The functions/acts
noted in the blocks may occur out of the order as shown in any
flowchart. For example, two blocks shown in succession may in fact
be executed substantially concurrently or the blocks may sometimes
be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the
functionality/acts involved.
While certain embodiments of the disclosure have been described,
other embodiments may exist. Furthermore, although embodiments of
the present disclosure have been described as being associated with
data stored in memory and other storage mediums, data can also be
stored on or read from other types of computer-readable media, such
as secondary storage devices, like hard disks, floppy disks, or a
CD-ROM, a carrier wave from the Internet, or other forms of RAM or
ROM. Further, the disclosed methods' stages may be modified in any
manner, including by reordering stages and/or inserting or deleting
stages, without departing from the disclosure.
All rights including copyrights in the code included herein are
vested in and the property of the Assignee. The Assignee retains
and reserves all rights in the code included herein, and grants
permission to reproduce the material only in connection with
reproduction of the granted patent and for no other purpose.
While the specification includes examples, the disclosure's scope
is indicated by the following claims. Furthermore, while the
specification has been described in language specific to structural
features and/or methodological acts, the claims are not limited to
the features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features
and acts described above are disclosed as example for embodiments
of the disclosure.
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